Lily is a bit of a character, but Jacquie wouldn’t have it any other way

Lily is my everyday hero, and she has been ever since my husband John and I got her as a rescue 10 years ago from Border Terrier Welfare.

She’s slowed down a bit now, but still loves life – walking regularly each morning, scrounging as many treats as she can and chasing away cats from the garden.

She loves visitors and welcomes them with licks

When we got her, only three weeks had passed since we lost our old Border Terrier. We were so distraught, but her unconditional love soon melted our hearts.

At first, Lily was a bit of a mischief. She used to love destroying toys! We even had to get an outside letterbox, because she’d grab any letters through the post-box, run off with them and then destroy them if given half the chance.

She loves visitors and welcomes them with licks as kisses. She’s made lots of friends over the years and has won photo competitions, too. I could go on forever!

Susanne adores Playa for many reasons, but particularly for the way she looks out for Peanut the kitten

Playa was found with her siblings at the side of the road when she was just a few days old. The litter was fostered, and Playa was adopted but sadly returned after a while. I happened to meet her her at an adoption drive in a pet shop a few months later. I had only gone in to buy cat milk for our newly adopted kitten, Peanut, but I just knew as soon as I saw her that Playa was meant to be ours.

The two of them are inseparable

She immediately fit right into our busy household, along with our new kitten, Peanut, and two other cats. She loved Peanut from the moment she laid eyes on her, and to this day the two of them are inseparable and even sleep in the same bed. Peanut sees Playa as a toy and chase and bite her tail, but Playa just licks her back.

Playa loves everyone and everything. Our friend has a son who has autism, and he can be intimidated by dogs because of their unpredictable fast movements. But he has no fear of Playa, and loves sitting on the sofa and cuddling with her. Playa shows tremendous patience with all children and young dogs, and is always so gentle and calm around them.

Georgina’s dog Sprocket has oodles of energy, and that’s exactly why she loves him so much

Sprocket is the best thing to ever have happened to our family. His endearing quirks never fail to put a smile on our faces. For instance, he always runs with his legs so straight he looks like a cartoon, and in the evening, he huffs and puffs very loudly before dramatically opening his pen, just to let us know he wants to go to bed.

He can sometimes be a bit of a diva

He’s a tiny bundle of energy and always ready to play. I wouldn’t say he’s spoilt, but he is well-loved and so always enjoys – and expects – a cuddle or two in our bed. He can sometimes be bit of a diva, and we often find ourselves having to pause the TV because he’s making a racket by digging around or barking because he wants to go out.

None of this really matters though, because our little pup is such a sweetheart. We love him for all of his funny habits and his adorable personality.

Despite everything life’s thrown at him, Louise’s dog Geezer always finds a way to stay optimistic

Geezer came into our lives last September. We found him at our local RSPCA centre and instantly fell in love with his infectious zest for life. He may only have three legs, but this doesn’t stop him from doing all the things he enjoys, usually at full speed!

His infectious zest for life

Our dog has taught us no matter how tough life can be, there is always a brighter day coming. He may stumble sometimes but he always gets backup, with a smile on his face and a wagging tail.

When you’re feeling blue, having someone to listen to you can make the world of difference. And for Claire and her husband, Shylow is always all ears.

Shylow is the most ‘human’ dog! He has guided my husband through a very dark period of depression and listens to his every word. He sat beside my husband, tilting his head, listening to every word and rambles back. Shylow understands everything we say to him and my husband and the dog share their own howling conversations. Shylow is our motivation to get up and get outdoors.

Watching him live his best life with us has enabled us to live ours with him

He brings toys to play with and tells us exactly what he wants. Shylow enjoys the finer things in life like freshly cooked sausages – or a packet of beef hula hoops! He is very well-behaved, and watching him live his best life with us has enabled us to live ours with him.

Deb’s dog Mac may look like an old man, but he’s got the spirit of a young pup

Mac is my confidant. I have health issues and have had to retire because of them, but Mac keeps me going, even on my darkest days. It’s almost as though he can sense when things are really bad, because he’ll always give me lots of cuddles to cheer me up.

Mac keeps me going

Balls are his favourite toy, so he has a rather large collection. He also has a few quirky habits, like how he hates walking on the tiled floor and will refuse to come in unless I put his bed down for him, or how much he barks at the postman. Mac always waits until you’ve finished your food before he eats his, just in case you give him any extras!

As he’s getting old, he has a few health issues now, but as soon as you throw a ball, he turns into a young pup again. He does look like an old man with his bushy eyebrows and podgy tummy, but that just makes him all the more adorable.